There are lot of things a jacket needs to do to protect you from the cold, beyond providing insulation. Factors like fit, packability, weight, breathability, and weatherproofness matter almost as much as shear warmth. The Orvis Pro HD Insulated Hoodie has all that, and is absolutely stuffed full of insulation, too. When I need to be outside in sub-zero temperatures, this is the jacket I reach for.
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Last Christmas was a cold one at my family’s cabin in northern Montana. Ambient temperatures reached as low as 34 below zero, while wind chills hit minus 45. Any sensible person would have stayed inside and enjoyed the fire, but my three dogs needed exercise, and with fresh mountain lion and moose tracks in the snow, they needed to be supervised.
While most people would reach for one of those giant, knee-length parkas, I’ve always found that their bulk gets in my way. The large volume of down insulation they carry and that thick, canvas face material, keep snow off and wind out, and provide a lot of warmth. But they’re so large and heavy that you could never hope to carry one in a backpack.
